


Dastardly Red Fiend

by Zenith_Lux



Series: Through the Ashes [10]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Belated Halloween, Costume Party, Dante's probably in over his head., F/M, Family Friendly Fun Times, Fluff, Music Battles, To defeat Dante, crack!fic, father/son bonding, of course
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 16:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21279398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenith_Lux/pseuds/Zenith_Lux
Summary: “The grin on Dante’s face told Vergil that his little brother had been preparing for this for his entire life. And that probably wasn’t a good thing.”On the fourth birthday of his grandchildren, Vergil finds himself roped into a costume party against his will. And between that, Dante’s schemes, and the dozens of kids driven to sugar madness, his chances of making it through the night (sane) are slim to none. But when Dante’s "challenge" comes to fruition, its up to Vergil and Nero to rescue their family from the "Dastardly Red Fiend”. In a 'Family Friendly' way, of course.
Relationships: Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry), Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Through the Ashes [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1477619
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	Dastardly Red Fiend

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to have this done for Halloween... but then I didn't think I'd be able to finish it... then I got inspired today and made it a Twin's birthday story instead. It still works.
> 
> I really just wanted to go all out and make this a really funny, somewhat wacky story. So I hope ya'll enjoy! ^^

The moment Nero asked Vergil to a duel, after not doing so for over a month, Vergil knew he was going to have an… interesting weekend. Because as much as Nero loved to spar with his family, he usually only asked when he wanted something from his father. That was a good start when dealing with “sensitive topics”. While Vergil controlled what he said around Dante, Nero could beat secrets or promises out of him no matter who was winning. In fact, Vergil couldn’t remember the last time they had fought each other where Nero _ hadn’t _ asked him for something _ . _Whether it was for advice (a rarity) or a request that Vergil would never agree to otherwise (much more likely), Nero always found a break in the combat to ask.

Vergil stubbornly refused to admit that his son succeeded because he was one of only three people in the world that Vergil could rarely say no to and actually mean it. And Nero had likely caught on by now, but blissfully kept that to himself. 

A small blessing, Vergil supposed. 

So, when the two pushed each other back for the fifth time, Nero dropped his request. “We could really use your help this weekend.”

Vergil twitched, narrowing his eyes to hide it. He knew what Nero was asking for, but he was stubborn enough to make him say it. “For what?”

Nero glared at him, but explained it regardless. “Angelica asked to have a costume party for her birthday, and we’ve decided to invite all the orphans to give them some time away. Kyrie’s out with a group right now I think. Choosing their costumes or something. But we need more chaperones.”

Vergil had been a “chaperone” in the past, but had managed to keep himself outside, guarding for “demons” or something. Ashira was usually the one inside, as Kaiden gravitated toward her in stressful situations. But Vergil had a feeling that wasn’t what Nero was asking of him this time. And the idea of willingly subjecting himself to a party full of children made Vergil uncomfortable. He liked his own grandchildren, the foster grandchildren… and that was about it. “I don’t think that’s wise.”

Nero rubbed at the back of his neck. “You’ll be fine.”

“With my grandchildren, maybe.”

“Well, Kai’s real nervous about it. I don’t think he’ll go if Shy doesn’t.”

Vergil scowled. Clever. That meant Shy _ had _ to go. Which meant Vergil didn’t have much of a choice. And there was absolutely no way she would say no to Kai. The kid was practically her son given his Phoenix soul, but Kyrie had both asked and insisted that she get to do all the parenting.

That was probably good for all of them, Vergil included.

Begrudgingly, he sheathed Yamato and walked past Nero, the battle tension dispersing in an instant. “I’ll talk to her.” He said.“But I am not wearing a costume.”

“Well, actually…”

Vergil glared at him. “What?”

“We were hoping you would match with the costume Kyrie bought for Shy.”

Vergil froze. “I thought you hadn’t asked her?”

“Well, Kyrie’s mentioned it to her once or twice…”

“Absolutely not.”

“Come on, Dad.” Nero said. “It’ll be fun. And I promise you will look much better than what Kyrie’s making me wear.” 

“Nero…”

“And Dante mentioned a challenge.” Nero said. “He’d probably announce himself the winner by default if you don’t show up.”

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. “What kind of challenge?”

Nero threw his hands into the air. “Beats me. He was gloating about it “being enough to defeat you” in front of the women this morning, but I don’t think any of them had a clue what he was talking about either.”

Vergil inwardly sighed. As much as he didn’t want to give Dante any credit, he knew what he was doing. Even if there wasn’t a “challenge” (which there probably would be. Something foolish, Vergil assumed, given the fact that they would be surrounded by children), the idea that Vergil would _ lose _just by default was enough to trigger his ego. And said ego would never forgive him if he lost, by default or otherwise. 

If Vergil was the type of person to curse, he would have in that moment. Instead, he merely shook his head. “Fine.”

Nero’s beaming smile almost made it worth it. “I promise you’ll enjoy yourself.”

“Doubtful.” Vergil muttered, but Nero had already darted away, whooping with strange delight as he dialed something into his phone. 

_ Curse you, Dante. _

* * *

The twin’s birthday came too quick and was passing far too slow. Virgil had been sitting at Nero’s house for almost six hours now. And, considering all of the children had their costumes on by the time he got there, he was convinced that they had slept in them. The three older boys were in some kind of turtle costumes (ninjas, they called themselves, but Vergil didn’t understand why that required a turtle shell). Three-year-old Kaiden was staring out the window in a blue dinosaur costume. His sister, Angelica, was crawling all over Vergil’s lap in a dress that was three times her size. A majority of the others were upstairs, except for Nero and Nico who were off preparing for the party. 

And as much as he wanted to be annoyed by the whole thing (honestly, leaving _ him _to babysit? They could have at least left Ashira downstairs), he couldn’t be when Angelica kept staring at him with those big, blue eyes and goofy child smile. 

“Grandpapa?” She said as she poked his cheek. 

“Yes?” He said glancing at Kaiden - he was transfixed by that new feather and perfectly content- before turning his attention back to her. 

Angelica’s eyebrows furrowed. “Where’s Grandmama?”

“With your mother, I believe.” 

When she tilted her head, her plastic, golden tiara slipped. Vergil adjusted it back without thinking. Angelica didn’t seem to notice. “Is she putting on the pretty costume Mama made?”

_ Pretty? _Angelica’s definition of “pretty” was a wide variety of things. Ajura was pretty, while Calcifer was cute. Cats were pretty, but dogs were nice. She’d even called his coat pretty, while Ashira’s clothes were cool. He had tried to pry that information out of Ashira herself, but both she and her mind had been silent. But Angelica…

“Do you like her costume?”

Angelica spun around and plopped over his knee. “Yes!” She said. “It’s…” She stopped, eyes widening as she stared at him. “You tried to trick me!” 

Caught, Vergil forced a shrug and said, “Of course not.” 

Angelica scowled. “No tricks without treats!”

Ah yes. Kyrie’s rule to keep the kids (and Dante) from ruining the house with progressively elaborate pranks during Halloween. Two years ago, when the twins were old enough by demon standards to understand their Uncle’s schemes, Dante had planned one of these tricks on Vergil. That had been a disaster, where Ashira had ended up covered in pizza sauce after pushing Kyrie - and not Vergil who’s demon senses would never fall for Dante’s stupidity- out of the way. After that, Calcifer, Griffon, and Shadow had chased Dante far beyond the property lines. Kyrie had not been amused by the mess, and the rule had been in place ever since. 

That, of course, put Vergil in an awkward spot, as Angelica was now staring at him expectantly, waiting for a treat he didn’t have. And if he didn’t find one, he’d be in trouble with Kyrie, which would make this already miserable party even worse. “I’m afraid all of my treats are at the party.” He said slowly. Angelica’s eyes narrowed. She wasn’t buying it. Of course not. She was his granddaughter, afterall; intelligent and stubborn. 

“Mr. Vergil!” Kyrie yelled from upstairs. He had never been so relieved to hear her voice in his life. “I have everything ready for you.”

Angelica’s eyes widened as she grinned. “Kaiden!” She said as she hopped off Vergil’s lap. “Grandpapa’s gonna be…”

“Shhhhh.” Kaiden said with an angry glare. “We promised Papa we wouldn’t say anything.” 

Angelica pouted as she plopped down on the floor. “Fiiiiine.” She glared at Vergil. “You better hurry or Mama’s gonna be sad.”

Vergil chuckled as he rose from the couch. As he reached the base of the stairs, a blur of red snapped down from the top. Vergil stepped to the side as Dante appeared with a grin. “Well look who it is!” He said as he put his hands on his waist and puffed his chest out. “I knew you’d come around.”

“... What are you wearing?”

His brother looked ridiculous. His red coat had been replaced by a black and red cape and a tuxedo that was fancier than anything Vergil had worn himself (not counting Nero’s wedding, but Dante had dressed up for that too). An elaborate black mask covered the top half of his face and the tophat was a massive and obnoxious accessory. 

Dante gave a hearty laugh. The grin on his little brother’s face told Vergil that he had been preparing for this for (possibly) his entire life. And that probably wasn’t a good thing.“I’m the Dastardly Red Fiend.” He said with a curious twinkle in his eyes. “Taking names and stealing hearts everywhere I go.” 

“... What?”

Dante spun around, throwing his cape to the side. “I’m on babysitting duty now.” He announced. All five kids went quiet as they stared at him. Vergil rolled his eyes as he went up the stairs, ignoring Dante’s indignant cries of “I’m more fun than him!” as he went to find Kyrie. 

Vergil’s eyes drifted into one of the open doors, and the woman inside stopped him in his tracks. Ashira was there, staring into a trio of mirrors. Her long, sparkling blue dress perfectly accentuated her curves, flaring out slightly at the bottom.. A glittering, blue cape swept off the back of the dress, obscuring a tactful amount of skin, barely more than she ever allowed. Matching, thin sleeves covered to her wrists, where the ring he had given her sparkled more than it had in months. Her hair had been braided in front of her shoulder with her usual feathers, and a silver tiara was pinned to her head. When she turned, Vergil saw the slit on the right side that stopped just above her knee. 

_ Entrancing. _That was the first word that came to mind. But even with her standing right in front of him - and the quiet hum of her mind forever in the back of his own - he couldn’t say it. 

After eight years in the human world, Vergil still struggled to put his feelings into words. He didn’t think he’d ever be particularly good at it either. He was a man of action, not conversation. Only countless hours with Ashira had pushed him to express himself more readily around her. It helped that their tether was getting stronger over the years, but it didn’t help his communication with everyone else. 

But moments like this. Watching her as his grandchildren laughed with his brother downstairs and his son was off changing lives reminded Vergil why he put up with all of this. Seeing them happy was worth the awkward parties and the costumes and the children he didn’t know. It was worth being teased by his brother and pulled around by his son if it meant that the people he cared about were safe. 

“Mr. Vergil!”

He jerked away before Ashira turned completely. A soft chuckle in his head told him he hadn’t escaped her notice. Kyrie waved at him from the last room with a smile. Her outfit was much simpler; short black dress with purple along the sides and wrapped at her waist. Black leggings, small heels, and a black and purple witch hat finished the “adorable witch look” she had mentioned to Ashira. “This way!” She said. 

He blinked forward. Kyrie jumped in surprise. “Apologies.” He said. 

She laughed, but he heard the attempt to catch her breath. “I’m still getting used to it.” She waved into the room. “Let me know if you need anything.” 

Vergil ducked inside, hoping to hide how far his thoughts had already wandered. He felt Ashira tug at the tether, and he let her. _ It’ll be alright. _ Her voice echoed in his head. _ Promise. _

Maybe this night wouldn’t be so miserable after all. 

* * *

_ ...Or maybe it will be. _

Thirty minutes later, it was Vergil left to stare in the mirror contemplating his life choices.“It’ll be worth it.” Ashira said from the doorway. He glared at her, but she simply walked in and kissed his cheek to dissuade the half-hearted hostility. “You look great.” Vergil scoffed and she laughed. “Its like you stepped out of a fairytale.”

She wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t make it any better. The only reason Virgil was letting it slide - aside from the fact that he had promised Nero - is that Kyrie had actually made the damn thing. He knew she picked up sewing after the twins were born, as it was a lot cheaper than buying clothes for children that grew out of them so fast. But she had actually put together an entire suit (_ how long had she been working on this thing? _ ) that fit him ( _ Curse you, Dante). _And it was impressive. The blue fabric matched Ashira’s dress with epaulettes made of gold. The buttons and seams were a matching gold, and she had even pinned a dragon’s wing on his chest, a perfect match for one that had appeared in Ashira’s hair while he was changing. It even had a clip along the belt for Yamato. But it was stiff, warm, and would likely tear if he fought in it. 

And that damn crown. That was sitting on the windowsill, and he briefly considered forgetting it. But Ashira’s eyes fell on it before he could drag her out. “Aww it’s a matching set.” She said as she plucked it off the windowsill and placed it on his head. He narrowed his eyes at her, but succumbed to another, genuine smile. “You’re my prince charming.”

He snorted. “King, Shira.”

She hummed in amusement. “Angelica will be the Princess then. And Kaiden the court dinosaur.”

“I don’t think that’s how that…” He trailed off when her eyes met his. He felt her tug at his soul again, but her thoughts were faint. “What is it?” He said, his voice low. 

She gave him a dramatic and humorous sigh. “We need to strengthen the tether again I see.”

Vergil’s cheeks flushed before he could hide it. He pulled her to him with a low growl. “That would be better than this obnoxious party.”

She snorted as Dante’s voice bellowed from downstairs. “Hey lovebirds! Time to go!”

Ashira wrapped her arm with his and smiled. However, her voice shifted to her Phoenix tongue and she said, “_ I snuck the violin and Nero’s bass guitar into our studio.” _

He raised an eyebrow. _ “What?” _

She shook her head with a small smile. _ “Just go with it.” _

* * *

The ballroom Luca had loaned them was a completely separate building from the dance studio. Vergil had seen it once or twice, but they rarely went inside. Between competitions, weddings, and parties like this one, it was rare to see it empty. 

By the time they got there - well before the children who had been piled into a bus with Dante, Lady, and Nico - Nero and his small team had turned the place into the twin’s wonderland. Half of it was dedicated to Angelica, with a pink happy birthday sign, and pink balloon archway over a table with a two tiered pink cake and an egregious amount of candy. Behind it, flowers were plastered all over the wall. The other half was purple, Kai’s favorite color, aside from blue (which Angelica had been against because “that’s grandpapa’s color”) with a matching balloon archway over a purple cake, more candy, and a blue happy birthday sign (they’d given him that, at least). Behind that was an impressive amount of dragons and dinosaurs cut from sturdy paper. Vergil even spied a few of Ashira’s feathers, a stand in for Kai’s as he wouldn’t be able to resummon any that were lost. Even the floor had been divided, with blue lights on one side and pink on the other. Vergil was certain that wouldn’t separate the kids in any way, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. 

Honestly, he was impressed by the whole thing. While he had been there for some of the planning - mostly to distract Angelica while Ashira worked with Kaiden - actually seeing it was… something else. He never thought he’d be proud of decorations, but Nero and Kyrie had pulled it off spectacularly. 

Then he saw Nero for the first time that day and couldn’t decide whether he should laugh or walk away from his son’s own shame. Except Nero didn’t seem to know what shame meant at the moment, and spun toward Vergil with a grin. “Hey!” He said as he waved his rather large cat paw at them both. His full body, black fur suit had to be much warmer than Vergil’s outfit, but he wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Someone had even drawn whiskers on his cheeks, because clearly the tail and ears wasn’t enough. “Glad you’re here.”

Angelica giggled on Vergil’s back. “Daddy’s Mama’s cat!”

“Ah.” Vergil said. That time, Nero did blush.

“I warned you.” He said as he waved them away. “You got off easy. I’m surprised the tail is still attached with how often the kids keep pulling on it.”

“I like it, Papa.” Kaiden said, his voice quiet. Nero blinked as his son seemed to wilt, burying his cheek into Ashira’s chest. “I mean… if you don’t…”

“Of course I do, little guy!” Nero said as he coaxed Kaiden into his arms. “But you’re going to have to protect me.”

Kaiden’s eyes widened. “From what?”

On queue, Calcifer barged into the room, flopping around in his overly sized puppy outfit. “Rawr!” He yelled as he skidded to a stop at Nero’s feet. 

Angelica huffed. “That’s not what puppies say.” 

“I can’t make the noise!”

“Its not hard.” She said. Vergil winced as his granddaughter did her best impression of the only dog they knew - Luca’s squeaky chihuahua. Calcifer physically recoiled, stumbling over his costume’s long legs before hitting the ground with a thump. 

“Calci!” Kaiden said as he jumped down to the little dragon. Calcifer whimpered as Kaiden swept him into his arms. 

“What perfect timing.” Vergil muttered. 

Ashira snorted. “Shameless.”

“Hey!” Calcifer whined. “I’m hurting, Mama.”

“Indeed.”

He stuck his tongue out at her, but purred when Kaiden brushed his finger along his head. “He understands.” Calcifer said with what could only be described as a smug grin. “Come on, little birdie. Lets go get some candy.”

Angelica’s head hit the back of Vergil’s when she snapped upright. He winced, glaring at Nero because he was the only person within sight. His son shrugged with a smile. Angelica didn’t seem to notice. “Candy?” She said. Vergil barely had time to lower himself before she hopped off his back and grabbed Kaiden’s hand. “Candy!” She yelled as she dragged him toward the tables, ignoring his protests. 

“Not too much.” Nero yelled. 

“Kay!”

Nero rolled his eyes. “I’ll take them from here.” 

As he chased after his kids, yelling at Angelica to “get off the table”, V appeared beside them. Vergil was only mildly surprised to see him in a massive, black witch hat that in no way matched the rest of his outfit. But he shook his head when it purred at him. “Yeah, yeah.” Griffon said as he appeared on Ashira’s shoulder. “Laugh it up. The kitty up there was way too excited for this.” 

A growl rumbled from the hat. “I ain’t lying!” One of Griffon’s wings hit Ashira in the head. The broad side of a feather knocked him off his perch. “Hey!” He said as she fixed her tiara with a scowl. Griffon grumbled - “_ at least your acting the part now, Princess” - _ but he flew back up onto her shoulder. In the distance, Vergil; heard the excited shouts of the children, mixed with Dante who had made up some kind of strange song about ghosts and jack-o-lanterns. Ashira’s eyes flickered toward the noise. “How long do you think it took him to come up with that one?”

“I’m not convinced he’s thought it through at all.”

“Making it up on the spot?”

“Likely.”

Vergil glanced at Nero. The kids had tackled him now, engaging in some weird wrestling turned tickle fight. Kyrie was standing nearby, talking to a volunteer as she kept glancing at them with a calm smile. Vergil couldn’t imagine being that kind of father. Ashira would probably keep him from being too strict, but throwing himself on the floor as “play time” (or dressing like a cat which would never _ ever _ happen _ ever) _seemed rather absurd. 

But it worked for them, so who was he to judge?

Outside, he heard the breaks of the bus squeal. “Inside!” Dante yelled. The chorus of children’s excited squeals echoed all around. As the door snapped open. Vergil instinctively yanked Ashira away, knocking Griffon off his perch. Except he hadn’t realized how close he was to the wall, and had to swallow currently unwanted feelings when they quite literally crashed into each other. 

Ashira laughed. “If you wanted a kiss, you could’ve just asked.”

He scowled at her, and it only deepen when Dante rushed in before the kids and started laughing. “Family friendly, Verge.”

The urge to stab his brother had rarely been stronger. 

* * *

An hour later, after the kids had devoured most of the candy and were now doing something that could maybe be considered dancing, Vergil and Ashira settled close to Kyrie. Ashira was on the ground with Kai in her lap, speaking low in her Phoenix tongue. Vergil understood all of it, but pretended not to. He was certain Kaiden knew he could speak it, even though he had never done so in front of him. But his grandson was much more open when he thought no one could understand him. And right now, the amount of people in the room combined with the music had little Kaiden on edge. Kyrie had already helped soothe his soul. Now, Ashira was helping him understand _ why _everything was so overwhelming, just as Vergil had done for her so long ago. Angelica, however, was in the middle of it all, dancing away with Nero who had been dragged in at some point during the night.

Then, the lights went out. 

Some kids screamed. Others laughed. Vergil felt some demon dart around the room almost as fast as him. 

Except her knew this demon, and Vergil could already feel his blood boiling. 

Kaiden was the first to disappear with a yelp. Vergil didn’t miss the hand of flame that grabbed the demon for half a second, until it said, “Just go with it” and Ashira begrudgingly let him go. Next was Angelica, who yelled “Am I getting kidnapped!? Awesome!” Then the demon came for Kyrie. Vergil spun around, hand clamping on Dante’s neck. “What are you doing?” He hissed under his breath. 

“Having fun.” Dante said with a lazy grin. “The kids are gonna’ love it!” Vergil’s eyes narrowed. His brother winked. “Wouldn’t be a party if we didn’t _ fight _a little, right Verge?”

Vergil glanced at Kyrie who looked as calm as she always did. When she gave him a curt nod, he let go. Dante grabbed her immediately, but his hold was loose at best. Kyrie could practically walk out of it if she wanted to. Instead, she pretended to faint in his arms. Dante barely caught her in time before chuckling. “See?” He said to Vergil. “She gets it.”

Vergil growled at him, but said nothing. The whole thing was too idiotic to respond to. At least his brother had been smart enough to leave Ashira out of it. Vergil was fairly certain his demon would have been furious at _ anyone _ being that close to its mate, family or otherwise.

The lights turned back on, Dante had moved to the stage where he carefully put Kyrie behind the kids. Kaiden was quick to crawl into her lap, both confused and a bit terrified. Angelica, however, was bouncing in her seat, eyes wild. _ Like Uncle like Niece. _Vergil thought. The children’s eyes snapped to the kidnapped family in a heartbeat. Nero’s mouth was wide open, confused. When he met Vergil’s gaze, the latter shook his head. His son relaxed, sighed, and rubbed at his temples as Dante started to speak.

“Greetings ladies and…”

Then Kaiden burst into tears.

The entire party, kids included, stared at Dante as Kyrie tried to calm the poor child down. “I want my grandma.” He said, wiping his tears through his suit. “I can’t… Mama.” Angelica rubbed at his back, glaring at her Uncle. 

Dante sheepishly looked to Ashira. “Can you uhh… go pretend to be kidnapped for me?”

Ashira snorted, but walked to his side all the same. “Oh no.” She said in the most sarcastic tone imaginable. “I’ve been kidnapped. Whatever shall I do?”

Dante grinned. “You’re the best.” He spun around before she rolled her eyes. “Greetings girls and boys! I, the Dastardly Red Fiend, have kidnapped our four special party guests. And I’m afraid they’re gonna stay that way, unless a particular _ prince _is willing to play my little game.”

Inside, Vergil groaned. Outside, he merely crossed his arms. Half of the kids had caught on by now - he did stand out like a sore thumb at this point - while the younger ones seemed more interested by the candy. 

“Now hold on a damn minute.” Nero said storming up to jut his finger out at Dante. “You’re putting my family on his shoulders?”

Dante laughed. “I’m afraid you’re not quite cut out for this, kiddo.”

“What?” Nero said. “I am more than capable of dealing with you.”

“But this is _ kid friendly _.” Dante shrugged. “You just don’t have the talent.”

Although he kept himself facing Dante, Vergil’s eyes drifted to Ashira who had called Luca over and whispered something about “the speakers being ready”. Luca nodded enthusiastically with two thumbs up, and everything clicked. _ Ah. _Vergil resisted the urge to smirk. As usual, Dante was in way over his head. This “victory” would be short lived. 

Nero and Dante were still arguing. “... You’re a mor…”

Vergil put his hand on his son’s shoulder, cutting him off. “Go on then, Dante.” He said. “You have the stage, after all.”

Dante grinned and a guitar appeared in his hands. Nero blanched in horror. “You brought her? I swear...”

“Relax, kiddo.” Dante said as he strummed a rather loud note. He had all of the kid’s attention now. Good. That would give Vergil time to get what he needed. “Let the adults work here.”

Nero’s eyes turned murderous. _ Even better. _Vergil thought. Now Dante was well and thoroughly beaten; he just didn’t know it yet. 

As his brother started whatever song he was trying to play (he was probably making it all up at this point, but the kids didn’t seem to care), Vergil glanced at Nero. “He did warn you.”

“He’s an idiot.” Nero muttered. 

“And we’ll put him in his place.”

Nero’s head whipped around so fast Vergil expected it to pop off. “We’ll what now?”

Vergil smirked. “You’ve been practicing, yes?”

“Practicing…” He trailed off. “My bass? Barely.” 

“Background noise is all you need to accomplish.”

“But I…”

Vergil dropped his voice to a whisper as Dante started making strange noises to accompany his routine. The kids had swarmed the stage by now, so he wasn’t paying them any mind. “A loyal feline never abandons his mistress.”

Nero scowled at him for a brief moment, before grinning back. “And a Prince doesn’t abandon his Queen.”

Vergil twitched. “I’m not, _ son _.”

“Neither am I, _ father _.”

Satisfied with whatever that was, Vergil left out the front door and teleported away.

* * *

When Vergil returned with Nero’s bass and promptly vanished again, Nero’s anxiety kicked in harder than it ever had before. He chastised himself over it - he was performing for the children for Hell’s sake - but Dante had completely won them over. And Nero knew some notes, sure, but nothing compared to _ that. _How Vergil would be able to improvise with whatever Nero was going to come up with was beyond him. 

_ Why am I shaking? _ He thought as he plugged the instrument into a speaker Luca had dragged out for him. _ This is so… I’m in a damn cat suit. _ Nero sighed as he glanced up at Kyrie. When their eyes met, the smile she gave him made him blush. _ You got this. _ She mouthed. Nero took a deep breath, rolled his shoulders back, and returned her smile. _ Hell yeah I do. _As Kyrie’s attention turned back to Angelica, who had tried to jump out of her lap at least three times now, Nero looked around for Vergil. But his father had literally vanished. Nero swallowed his anxiety again. Vergil wouldn’t abandon him. Not when Dante had brazenly challenged him in front of everyone. The brother’s competitiveness would never go away, even for children. 

Nero had never seen Vergil actually play anything. He remembered something about a violin. But, like his dancing, he kept that to himself. 

As Dante hit the last note, dropping to his knees in a dramatic way as he threw his hands back. Sparks shot from nowhere (Nero would never know how he pulled that off) and the kids broke into furious cheers. He wondered if Vergil was watching, and if he felt as confident as he had been before. 

_ What I am talking about? Of course he is. _

Dante’s guitar vanished and his finger snapped at Nero. “Alrighty kiddo. You’re up.”

Nero took a deep breath and threw on his best cocky smile. “Bring it on.”

His first few notes were a little shaky, but he saw Dante nod encouragingly. _ For the kids, huh? _ Nero thought. _ Bring it on. _It took a bit, but he found his rhythm. A simple tune. Something he had been working on for some of Kyrie’s faster songs. It wasn’t much - honestly, it sounded so much better with her beautiful voice - but he was pulling the kid’s attention regardless. 

Then the violin started. 

Nero almost stopped playing at how… incredible it sounded. It was loud, but not overbearing. Interesting enough to yank all of the kid’s attention away from Dante, whose mouth dropped open. And strangely entrancing. Nero might have laughed, watching his father sitting on the banister overlooking the ballroom with his legs crossed. But he looked so professional. So _ into _the music that he couldn’t. 

“See?” Angelica said to Kai. “I told you Grandpapa would come for us.”

“Papa is too.” Kaiden said. 

“Well… yeah.” 

Nero rolled his eyes. When he looked back to Vergil, he was practically gliding off the banister- _ how in the world was he pulling that off? He wasn’t even using his wings _ \- and landed right in the middle of the children. Most of them gasped. Even the younger ones had stopped digging through the candy to stare at him. Vergil glanced at Nero and tilted his head just slightly. “Change the tune.” V said, startling him enough to falter. “Something faster is preferable.”

Unlike Nero, Vergil didn’t flinch as he leapt onto the stage. Dante actually shuffled back a few feet before that lackadaisical grin returned. "I'm impressed." He said. "But there's no way they'll pick you over me." 

Vergil said absolutely nothing, and Nero swore he started playing faster, teetering the line between human capabilities and demon skills. Nero adjusted as quickly as he could, finding that he - like the rest of the kids it seemed - was enjoying it. 

He always knew that his father was secretly a bit of a dork. But even as he and Dante started this rather interesting spar where Dante tried to block him and Vergil kept casually darting out of the way, he was calm, cool, and collected. Never missed a beat. No fear. No embarrassment. Just pure competitive confidence. It even spurred Dante back to action as he resummoned his guitar in a direct challenge. The kids cheered. Kyrie was laughing. Angelica's eyes were wider than Kai's, and Ashira eyes were trained firmly on her husband. 

One big happy family. 

At some point, the feud between the brothers reached a point where Nero was able to just stop and watch it play out. The kids started cheering back and forth for who was better. Dante started trying to trip Vergil, who dodged each one with such refined grace that Nero almost laughed. The music never stopped. The dance between them was almost predatory. 

"It's nice," V said beside him. "To see him let go, isn't it?" 

Only took six years and near death, but… 

"Yeah." Nero said. "Though I doubt we'll see this again anytime soon." 

V chuckled. "Unlikely." 

Then, Dante stumbled (though Nero wasn't certain if it was an intentional admission of defeat or an unfortunate accident). Vergil went for the kill, knocking him over with his foot so subtly that Nero almost missed it. Dante tumbled off the stage, his guitar vanishing as the kids cheered. Vergil finished whatever song he was playing - Nero would have to ask him later - and held his hand out to Angelica. "It seems," he said. "That the fiend has been vanquished." 

The kids in the crowd went wild as Luca turned the regular music back on. Both Angelica and Kaiden leapt into Vergil's arms. Ashira helped Kyrie stand up as Nero set his bass aside and picked her up. 

"Told you." Kyrie said with a kiss on his cheek. 

Nero blushed, but laughed. "That was all him." 

Suddenly, Angelica gasped. "This means that Grandpapa saved his queen!" 

Vergil blinked, more confused than Nero had seen him in awhile. Ashira, who was moving off of the stage by now, froze and glanced back at them. Angelica looked between them both with a mischievous grin on her face. "You know what that means!" She pointed at Ashira as Kaiden shyly found his way to Nero. "Now you have to kiss her!"

Vergil's face flushed a shade of crimson that Dante would probably never let him live down. Ashira stared at her granddaughter, just as embarrassed. The other kids, gripped by sugar madness and a mob mentality, broke into a loud chant. _ "Kiss her. Kiss her." _ Dante quickly hopped up and joined right in. “Kiss her!”

For a second, Nero thought both of them would simply disappear. Not that he blamed them in the slightest. Kissing Kyrie around people was hard enough, and the kids had seen them together for years. 

Come to think of it, had Nero ever seen them kiss before? 

Did he really want to? 

"Hey kids!" He yelled. The crowd went silent as they looked up at him. "If you aren't careful, the Dastardly Red-Fiend might strike again. And Ms. Kyrie will be in danger." 

Very, _ very _slowly, they all turned on Dante. His face went pale as he slowly moved towards the entrance. "Hey now." He said. "I know when I've been beaten."

"Get him!" Angelica yelled.

Dante snapped out of the front door as the mob sprinted after him. Many of the chaperones rushed after, but Nero knew Dante wouldn't let them go far. Nero glanced at Vergil who gave him a curt nod and a look of pure relief. "That was for my benefit, old man." Nero shrugged. 

Vergil chuckled. "Of course." 

Even as he looked away, he didn't miss the small kiss Ashira planted on his father's cheek. "Go on." Nero said over his shoulder. "We've got things from here." Vergil nodded, and both disappeared. With Kaiden in one hand and Kyrie in the other, Nero moved to the window. Dante had the kids all running in circles, but Nero didn't miss the smile on his face. "Go on." He said to Kaiden. “They won't be able to catch him without you.” 

Kaiden shook his head as his as wrapped his arms around Nero's neck. "I've gotta protect Mama and Papa."

Nero laughed. Kyrie brushed through her son's hair. He beamed up at her, but nuzzled closer to Nero's chest. "We should probably save him." She said as the shouts of the children had yet to quiet down. 

"Nah." Nero said. "He's got this." 

* * *

Vergil and Ashira didn't go far. Not because they couldn't - honestly going home at this point sounded amazing - but because they didn't quite want to. Even though Nero had sent them away, Vergil wanted to stay nearby, wait for the kids to make it home, then figure out what they'd do with themselves. 

Instead, they waited in their studio, listening to the kids chase Dante around. Vergil was fairly certain that one of them (probably Angelica) had managed to tackle him. The image of dozens of costume clad children piling on his brother was something he almost wished he could see, but not enough to show themselves again. 

"See?" Ashira said, leaning back on the railing. "I knew you'd be alright." 

Putting his hands on hers, and thus pinning her to said railing, he leaned in and said, "You could've told me." 

"I'd say that warning was pretty fair." She said with a huff. "Dante said it was an automatic loss if I told you. But he never said I couldn't hint at it." She tilted her head with a smile. "Of course. If you're upset with me, there are a few ways I could make it up to you." 

"Is that so?" He brushed his lips along the thrumming pulse in her neck. He felt her twitch, despite her efforts to hide it. "What do you have in mind?"

She chuckled. "Why would I tell you here? Too many sensitive ears. Just think of what your brother might say?" 

His voice dropped a full octave almost without him thinking about it. "My brother is well and thoroughly beaten." He said. "It's only fair I take the prize he so graciously set for me." 

"Hey now." She said with a laugh. "I walked up there willingly." 

He nipped at her throat. "It's all the same."

The door burst open. Ashira jumped. Vergil's eyes snapped backwards, swallowing his demon’s protective reaction. How he hadn't sensed his brother coming was beyond him. But instead of the teasing glance he expected, Dante pressed himself against the wall, breathing heavily, and clearly disheveled. Vergil heard the kids running down the hallways, but not in their direction. "Okay, okay." Dante said. "I've saved you. Now send these rascals away." 

"Saved me?" Vergil said. "You brought this on yourself, brother." 

That time, Dante snickered. "Maybe. But you sure didn't waste any time, did you?"

His grip tightened on Ashira's hand as he glared at his brother. "Leave, Dante." 

"Oh?" Dante said as he sauntered toward them with his hands on the back of his head. "Why's that, Verge? What are you hoping to do that I can’t watch?" 

Vergil growled, but Ashira slipped her hand toward Yamato. "Angelica." She sang as she unsheathed it. "Your Uncle's back here. Waiting just for you." 

Vergil heard his granddaughter rally the kids. Dante glared at her. "You little…"

She waved rather cheekily as Vergil summoned a portal behind them both. "Good luck." She said as he pulled her through it seconds before the wolves descended on his brother. 

_ Yes. _ Vergil decided. _ This night could have been much, much worse. _


End file.
